The international oncology platform OncoDaily has included Loizos G. Loizou in its 2025 list of the 100 Most Influential People in Oncology, recognising his long-standing contribution to paediatric oncology, international collaboration and the reduction of inequalities in healthcare.
According to an announcement by the ELPIDA Foundation, the distinction goes beyond the recognition of an individual. It reflects international acknowledgement of a Cypriot model of scientific, social and humanitarian action developed over time with consistency, cooperation and vision, a model that today has global reach.
Professor Loizou has been a pioneer in the development of paediatric oncology services in Cyprus since 1990, contributing decisively to high cure rates for childhood cancer and to the establishment of modern standards of care for young patients on the island.
At the same time, he has played a significant role in strengthening paediatric oncology capacity in countries with limited resources, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. His work has extended to countries such as Senegal, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire, as well as across southern Africa, with a focus on Botswana and the fifteen countries of the Southern African Development Community, through collaborations with international organisations and networks.
In 2023, with the support of the ELPIDA Foundation, the Cyprus International Action Plan for Children with Cancer (Cy-IAPCC) was launched. The initiative aims to transfer expertise, strengthen healthcare systems, provide essential medicines, develop paediatric palliative care and support countries facing serious inequalities in childhood cancer care.
Through this plan, important humanitarian and educational actions have already been implemented in cooperation with the World Health Organization, the Cypriot government and international partners.
The recognition by OncoDaily underlines how a small country such as Cyprus can play a meaningful role on the global stage when it invests in knowledge, cooperation and people. The ELPIDA Foundation describes the distinction not as an endpoint, but as a renewed responsibility to continue and expand its work for children with cancer, in Cyprus and beyond.